WELCOME TO THE

DuPage Birding Club

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ABOUT US

A Brief Overview of the DBC

Founded in 1985, the DuPage Birding Club is nationally known as one of the largest and most active birding groups in Illinois. Our mission is to promote birding among our 400+ members
and the general public through field experiences and education that focus on the various habitats in DuPage County, the greater Chicago area, and other regional hotspots.  We welcome birders of all skill levels and interest.

ABOVE: Phothonotary Warbler. Photo by Diann Bilderback.

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THE DUPAGE BIRDING CLUB IS

Promoting birding in DuPage County and the greater Chicagoland area.

Join us in making birding an experience!

RSVP to Birding and Breakfast August 22

 

MEETINGS

Learn from guest speakers and members at our meetings.

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FIELD TRIPS

Join us on one of our 100 plus field trips each year.

Upcoming Trips

BIRDING DUPAGE

Explore DuPage County birding hotspots and resources.

Explore Hotspots

DBC on YouTube

Mini-Tutorials

Identify your warblers, cuckoos, thrushes, owls, blackbirds, ducks, and more.
View ID Tutorials

Birding Basics

Learn about bird identification basics, binoculars, migration, and more.
Learn About Birds

Birding by Ear

Hone listening skills for thrushes, flycatchers, grassland birds, and more.
Learn Songs and Calls

Upcoming Meeting

September 10, 7:00pm - In Person and via Zoom

Topic: Breaking the Cook County Big Year Record – Twice!

Presented by Birder Tarik Shahzad

Location: College of DuPage and Zoom

The Big Year – one of the ultimate challenges for avid birders is to commit to finding as many species of birds as possible in a defined geographic area for one year. The area could be your yard, a local nature preserve, a county, or even the American Birding Association Area of Canada and the United States. Completing a Big Year requires commitment, planning, perseverance, lots of time, and a little luck. Hollywood even made a feature film about a big year several years ago.

Our September speaker will be Tarik Shahzad, a local Chicago birder who completed two big years in a row in 2024 and 2025. Not only did he complete two big years in Cook County, but he broke the record number of birds seen in a year in 2024 and then broke his own record again in 2025. Tarik saw an amazing 296 species in Cook County in 2025 finishing with a flyover Whooping Crane in Northbrook to break the record for the second time.

Tarik will present a program documenting his record-breaking year which will be illustrated with photographs of the birds he saw during his Big Year journey. The program is sure to be informative and inspiring for all birders and may ignite a spark in someone to attempt a Big Year in DuPage County.

Tarik Shahzad is an avid birder in the Chicago area. When not birding, he works for The Nature Conservancy Chicago’s office on conservation issues and natural areas preservation. He has indicated that one motivation for completing a Big Year is that it provides platform for him to promote the need for natural areas preservation and habitat management, as well as bird conservation.

Join us in person at College of DuPage or tune in via Zoom on September 10th at 7:00 pm.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/t2YS0GW9RLmG12277hNRgg

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Upcoming Field Trips

Registration May Be Required

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2026 Spring Bird Count Results

July 5, 2026
Joe Suchecki - DuPage County Compiler The annual Spring Bird Count was conducted on Saturday May 9, 2026, when over 100 DuPage birders spread out across the county to participate in this statewide event. The ...
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Recent News

DBC Book Club Next Read – The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, andthe Natural History Heist of the Century

July 31, 2026
Now let’s get ready for a fascinating true-crime story as you journey into the underworld of plume peddlers and fanatical hobbyists obsessed with the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying as we read The Feather Thief  by Kirk Wallace Johnson. In 2009, a young American musician named Edwin Rist stole hundreds of rare bird skins from the British Museum of Natural History, many painstakingly collected 150 years earlier by a contemporary of Charles Darwin. The gorgeous feathers these rare birds sported were worth large sums of money to the men who shared Edwin’s obsession: the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying. Years […]
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SAVE THE DATE: Birding and Breakfast, August 22nd

July 1, 2026
Please join us for a bird walk and casual breakfast at the West Shelter at Blackwell Forest Preserve, Saturday, August 22nd. All birders and potential birders are welcome! This is a great time to get together and relive highlights of your summer birding experiences with others who share your interest in birding and the outdoors.  The bird walk starts at 7:00 a.m. at the West Shelter located on the left side of the Main Drive south of the Mount Hoy Parking lot. Breakfast will follow at 9:00 a.m. and will consist of fresh fruit, bagels, donuts, juice, coffee, and more. […]
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Outreach News

July 1, 2026
DBC hosted a table at the Green Garden Fair on May 9th. Sponsored by the First Congregational Church of Elmhurst, the fair was a great chance to educate the community on living sustainably and learning to connect with nature. Many thanks to Andie Duffy and Mike Warner for representing DBC. A variety of organizations reach out to the DuPage Birding Club in search of presentations and programs about birds. The Outreach Committee’s members try to fulfill as many requests as possible but find we are always in need of volunteers. You don’t have to be a birding expert or a […]
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DBC’s Winter/Spring ’26 Contest Last Call!

June 30, 2026
The DBC’s Photo Contest closed on June 30 and we are accepting photos until July 7, 2026. All photos are welcome: amateur, funny, imperfect, high-quality. The “story behind the shot” is taken into account when the entry is judged. The judges want this to be a fun contest, so no categories have been predefined – every entry has a chance to win! Note: the judges* ask that you limit the number of photos you enter to five or less. They usually do not give out more than one award to the same photographer if they submit multiple images. If you […]
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Wingspan Returns July 11th!

June 30, 2026
Too hot to enjoy birding outside? Let’s get together and play Wingspan in cool comfort! Wingspan is a beautifully crafted game, where each player has several wildlife habitats in which to attract a variety of birds with unique characteristics and abilities. Players collect food, lay eggs, and draw birds from cards with stunning illustrations and interesting facts. It blends education with strategy, in an enjoyable atmosphere. You do not need to know how to play. We will teach you. If you know how to play, you can help others learn. We will provide the game boards and teachers. Your teachers: […]
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Become a member today and join the DuPage Birding Club!

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